Of Ramen and Sunsets
by Kitsunecubby
Summary: Shikamaru Nara isn’t the most active nin you’ll meet, nor the most motivated. He’d probably come up with new contractions just to save himself from the troublesome task of taking that extra breath. It's always better than the summary, people. For Sevynne.
1. Chapter 1

Howdy all! I'm new! This is my first fan fiction, I've been reading these for a long time but I never got a chance to write them before. This my be kinda long but bare with me here, k? This fan fiction started as a dare from my sister. She is angel-from-hell2 and wrote a single yugioh fanfic I can't really remember the name to. Any way I told her it sucked and she said I couldn't write one better. So, I did. Now for the cred. And BTW I wont warn you of **shounen ai.** That's my hook!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, k? And the idea was from my best friend Sevynne. No, she's not on the site but she helped with the story.

Enjoy, k?

Shikamaru Nara isn't the most active nin you'll meet. Nor the most motivated. He'd probably come up with new contractions just to save himself from the 'troublesome' task of taking that extra breath. This being said, he was none too happy when Ms. Nara informed him he'd be doing the weekly shopping if he felt like eating these next few days.

Well, that's not _exactly _what she said.

But explaining it would take up way too much energy. The short story is he either had to make a list, walk to the store, get the groceries, pay for them, walk home, listen to his mother complain that he'd bought the wrong objects…

OR, he could just eat at the ramen shop. This option which, not too surprisingly, required less bitching on behalf of both him and his mother so, the ramen shop it is.

This leads us to the point where we currently are. Where, once again, Shikamaru was resting under his favorite maple tree.

"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, more than anything else. He was lying there as the day's training finally caught up with him. It seemed as though through all the complaining with Ino and three consecutive games (which were all_ won_, mind you) of shogi with Asuma sensei, Shikamaru had clearly forgotten to eat breakfast. Now shogi aside, all of any energy he had was used arguing about hair with Ino, _hair_ of all things. It was left to be said which of the women in his life was more argumentative, but he was sure that if ever in the same room, Ino and his mother could go on for days. But this fact was beside the point. He was hungry, which was getting in the way of his cloud watching, and therefore made it troublesome.

He stood up and began his usual sulk to town.

He really didn't like ramen, and he couldn't really think of anyone who particularly cared for it except Naruto, now _he_ was something to think about…

Upon reaching his destination and going through this morning's shogi game (determining that he could have won in six less moves than usual), among other things (odd, yet far more pleasing than shogi will ever be), he spotted something that should have been less of a surprise than it was. In the distance he could just see his favorite blond kyubi, inside the ramen shop and frantically searching for something.

…

'Wait a sec…_my __**favorite**_?'

Today was going to be a _very_ 'troublesome' day.

For the moment, Shikamaru dismissed his seemingly questionable use of pronouns and adjectives as mere coincidence.

He continued on his way, now striding rather than sulking, to the ramen shop. He then pulled up the curtain with an instant twinge of…something. Regret, embarrassment, frustration, possibly even lust. Because Naruto, who had apparently given up the effort on searching his shirt, had now moved on to searching his jeans.

So just try and imagine this, a jacketless, shirtless, and now pant-less Naruto was waving his pants in the air furiously with long, muscular, and lightly tanned arms, in a futile attempt to find his mysteriously lost item. His spiky blond hair was swaying slightly with the small burst of air from the shop's curtain opening and his blazing azure eyes shining in the sun. He was just standing there in nothing but green boxers and shoes, with Shikamaru in the front row for the magnificent performance. Can you imagine it?

Because Shikamaru certainly didn't have to.

A hungry, slightly horny, and most of all, confused Shikamaru stood in the doorway of the ramen shop with the curtain held barely over his eyes. Which was just enough for him to continuously stare in an unending stupor, at the almost entirely naked Naruto, who had yet to make it known that he was aware of the shop's new occupant.

"Oh, hey Shikamaru," Naruto said rather nonchalantly, abruptly waking Shikamaru from his Naruto-induced trance. He physically shook himself before walking in and awkwardly finding his way to a seat at the far right of the shop.

"Hey," Shikamaru replied, rather stiffly to his near naked comrade, as he placed his order at the counter.

"Arrghh!" Naruto exclaimed, possibly a fraction louder than he had meant to "What the hell?! How could it be missing? Iruka sensei gave it to me just this morning!"

Ramen coupon.

Shikamaru didn't know why he hadn't thought of it sooner. Naruto had, once again, lost his coupon. He, being the orphan that he is, doesn't have any parents to pay for his food so, Iruka sensei often does. And just as often, Naruto seems to lose them.

"Lose something, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked rather dryly, trying to keep any and all of his new found emotions in check and as far away from Naruto as possible.

"Yeah, my meal ticket!" Naruto replied, perhaps a bit happier than one had just lost something important normally would have, but then again, since when were the nin of Konoha anything even relatively close to normal?" I bet that stupid pervy sage made me lose while we were 'training'."

Naruto proceeded to drop his pants on the ground behind him and then took off his shoes. He searched them and the search came up, of course, empty. He then moved on to his socks as each search became as unyielding as the last.

Shikamaru's lunch had already been both paid for and placed on the counter in front of him, but he had taken no notice. He was far too preoccupied by the clearly astonishing site to his left, _far_ to preoccupied.

After giving up on both his socks and shoes, Naruto's hand had moved to the waistband of his green boxers.

Shikamaru's mouth was open agape in a mixture of shock and silent amazement. Part of him wanted desperately to see what was under those green boxers, whereas the other part wanted to bitch-slap the first part and ask both Naruto and himself what the hell he was thinking.

The latter half won…

…not by much though.

"Naruto," Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably in his seat "might I ask what the _hell_ you're doing?"

"I already told you that!"

"…I meant why you were about to take off your underwear."

"Hmm? Oh, cuz I can't find my coupon. I'm still looking for it; I thought I already told you that Shikamaru!"

Naruto, now thoroughly annoyed, made another reach for his boxers, and was just barely stopped by another outburst from the somewhat anxious Nara nin.

_Just_ barely.

"What if I just paid for you, Naruto?" Shikamaru blurted out, now ever so slightly cross with himself for stopping Naruto for the second time today.

"Really Shika?" Naruto asked gleefully.

"…really."

The first chapter does suck a bit and I apologize in advance for any and all, Past Present and future OOCness k? BTW I am posting chapters 1 and 2 at the same time and I wont post 3 the last one unless people thinks it's worth finishing.

kk, bye!


	2. Chapter 2

And here is part two for your viewing pleasure. As a reminder, If I get good reviews by 8-31 at 4pm central time when I get back from school I shall post chappy 3. kk? I know that Shika/Naru isn't a very popular pair so I don't expect many reviews but that's k! I chose this couple by both request of my best friend and by the fact that it was unpopular! I choose to write for all things unusual! cept yuri, no I don't hate on it, I personally just don't like it Now for teh cred. BTW **shounen ai FTW! **Crap! I didn't realize it got rid of my lines in ch2! Oh well.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naru-chan or Shika-chan or any of their pals,k? The Idea is Sevynne's k?

"…As long as I get paid," mused the aging and slightly disgruntled shop keeper as Naruto put his clothes back on and helped himself into the chair next to Shikamaru "Hey, Nara kid, you know your food's getting cold, right? "

Although Shikamaru was a proven genius and had an IQ of 200+, he had been completely and entirely oblivious to the much needed bowl of ramen which had been placed in front of him for quite a while now.

"Yeah, I know."

"Hey, thanks a lot for this Shikamaru!" Naruto beamed. Iruka sensei was the one who usually paid for his meals, and out of the few other people who had ever even talked to the Kyubi, Shikamaru had never paid for his meals, much less ate them with him.

He decided he liked it.

"Don't mention it," Shikamaru had said this somewhat quieter than he usually would have. He had started to feel a little awkward around the blond. And thus, he tried to make an attempt at eating in hopes of making either his hunger or this feeling of awkwardness subside.

As he was surprised to find out, though, he appreciated the sound of the voice coming from his left much more than the ramen in front of him. So, he thought he'd try to figure out just how long he could keep this going. Naruto would probably finish his ramen in a record minute and a half, so if he could keep Naruto talking and in turn interrupt his disturbingly vicious eating habits he could probably make this little bit of sunshine last a good three minutes at the most, so he figured.

How wrong he was.

* * *

"… and then he tried to just leave me there so he could run off with some girl who had looked his way like four minutes before! Stupid pervy sage." Naruto concluded.

They'd been sitting there, talking, for a good hour or two and Shikamaru felt as though no time had passed at all. Somewhere along the way to make the minute and a half into three, Shikamaru had not only forgotten to eat, again, but also to check the clock. And to be honest, he really didn't care to. He hadn't been saying much, mostly just listening to Naruto go on with stories about his adventures in team seven and almost twice as many about a man he only would only refer to as the 'pervy sage'.

"He reminds me a little of Kakashi sensei actually. Except Kakashi sensei only reads the books, pervy sage 'researches' it."

"You mean he spies on the women's hot springs?" questioned Shikamaru.

"Yeah, but…"

"But what, Naruto?"

"One time, I saw that pervy sage Jiraya watching the hot springs," He paused and looked around anxiously to make sure the shopkeeper was gone and no one was listening"…the _male_ hot springs."

Shikamaru was dumbfounded, he'd seen a pervy old man matching Naruto's description at some of the local brothels and was really, _really_ sure he was straight. "You're serious?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you know?"

Naruto looked away and fiddled with his hands a little bit to the side. He eventually responded, but had it been any quieter, Shikamaru wouldn't have heard it.

"I was _in_ the hot springs." Naruto finished, a little red in embarrassment. Shikamaru was also a little red after hearing what Jiraya had done, and for more or less the same reason. He was furious, but he couldn't quite tell why. But after some thought, the answer was clear.

Pervy bastard was checking out _his_ Naruto.

"Something wrong, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, all self pity withdrawn from his voice and replaced with a sincere concern for the boy next to him.

"No," Shikamaru said off-handedly. He would have to find something to preoccupy himself, lest he let something slip to his Naruto. So he had made another attempt at eating his lukewarm ramen, which, finally succeeded, albeit slow. As he ate he returned to listening to Naruto about some supposed relationship between Asuma sensei and Kurenai sensei (Blasphemy, I know.). About half way through Naruto's sermon, and about fifteen precautiously small and delicate bites taken later, Shikamaru raised his head from his hardly touched ramen to notice something that not only embarrassed him a tiny bit, but had also made him happy to no end.

Naruto, who had now stopped talking completely, _blushing_, was staring at him.

"You were saying, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, an obvious hint of pleasure in his voice.

"N-no, Shika, I was just…w-watching something um, outside the uh…" Naruto stuttered out, most likely to be caught stumbling through an obvious lie.

Shikamaru put together the poor excuse and Naruto's empty bowl and came to the conclusion that he was still hungry and, in turn, passed him his bowl of almost untouched ramen.

"Hmm? Oh! Th-thanks I guess." Poor Naruto, being so close to Shikamaru, he started to sound and act like the most honorable Hinata-san. '_Thank Kami-sama Shika didn't notice I was watching his… _'

"Weren't you just talking about Asuma sensei just a minute ago? I have no idea why he'd be doing that with Kurenai…" Shikamaru could clearly see the displeasure on Naruto's face and decided that it would be best if someone kept talking, as he hated seeing his Naruto unhappy. Even if he sounded stupid talking so up-beat, he would do just about anything to get Naruto to stop frowning like that "I beat him at shogi everyday. Have you ever played it before? It's really easy…"

Naruto smiled as he ate Shikamaru's ramen. It was cold, didn't taste that good (something he thought impossible for ramen), and he wasn't really all that hungry. But he really didn't care and it really didn't matter. He liked the way Shikamaru went out of his way to feed him, talk to him, explain shogi to him, and just be nice to him for no reason. He _loved _it. Maybe he wasn't _entirely_ listening, but he was just soooo happy. He liked everything he was doing right now. It was perfect. Shikamaru was perfect….

…what did that mean? If he loved being here and being here was perfect, and Shikamaru was perfect then…how did he feel about Shika-chan? Shika-_chan_? He could think about this later. For now just being here was enough. He liked the way things were going. He liked the way Shika-chan sat, he liked the way his voice sounded, he liked the way his lips moved…

"…so I have no idea why he keeps losing every time we play, he never beats me, I mean right?"

Naruto was so busy _watching_ Shikamaru speak, he had forgotten to listen. This being so, it all just flew right over his head and out the door.

So he tried to wing it.

"Yeah, Shika-ch…I mean Shikamaru! It's really obvious how you'd…match the um…cards! Who knows? Maybe Asuma sensei loses 'shoki' on purpose!" he sounded confident.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"You weren't listening were you?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"No."

* * *

How nice of him to listen, eh? BTW all requests/ideas are very appreciated, but will not be excepted unless A: This story goes nicely B: and I can't accept until I post rules for such on my bio k? Then it's a free for all!

kk, byes now!


	3. Chapter 3

No reviews? I guess you're waiting for the end aren't you? Well crap, fine. I just wanted to know wether or not I was gonna make a fool of myself for posting this But I guess not, huh? Oh well, BTW Im still trying to settle the dispute with my sister so PLEASE review my story and if you liked it lots (or even if you didn't) then go read Autumn leaves falling by angel-from-hell2 and put the comparison in a review for this story! KK that's all for now, oh and **shounen ai **FTW!

/insert **Disclaimer**:Idon'townNaruto#3

* * *

On to the final chapter of 'Of Ramen and Sunsets'! Enjoy. 

"Sorry, Shika-chan, I guess I-I wasn't really listening," Naruto whispered, he almost wanted to cry. He thought Shikamaru sounded stern when he'd said 'Honestly.' For some reason he hated it, it saddened him deeply to think that Shika-chan would ever be cross with him. '_Crap! I called him Shika-chan again! What if he doesn't like that? What if it made him feel embarrassed? Is he mad at me for not listening? He was talking for quite a while…_'

Why did Naruto care?

He knows why he cares.

He knows very well why he cares.

But that's not the question.

Did _Shika-chan_ care?

Did _his_ Shika-chan care?

The thing is, Shika-chan did care. He cared _a lot_. But not about what Naruto thought he cared about. Oh no, it was something much different. Something like…

…Naruto, maybe?

But, while Naruto was worrying over the thousands of things he could have done wrong, and the millions of things he thought he did do wrong, and why it was even classified as a 'wrong', Shikamaru happened to do the last thing that Naruto thought he would do, and even something the Nara nin wasn't quite sure of himself.

He laughed.

He wasn't sure why, maybe it was the way Naruto made up that crappy lie, or the way he called him Shika-chan, or even how cute he looked when he had said 'Honestly?'. It wasn't even that funny, but he had laughed all the same. It wasn't a loud or boisterous laugh, more like a chuckle, but it was a laugh all the same. He liked it. It was something he'd have to do more often. It even cheered up Naru-chan a bit, I mean, if he was laughing, he couldn't be _that_ angry, right? It was really…

…it made _Naru-chan_, feel better?

Here comes that feeling again.

* * *

It was around sunset, the sun hung low in the sky and the sunlight outside the ramen shop had long since been faltering. The two nin had been talking for so long that time had ceased to matter. Shikamaru had no more training (for Asuma was still a little pissed about losing yet again, even though he knew he'd never win) and to hell with bastard sensei. 

It had been at least two hours since Naruto's unnecessary apology and they had recovered from their previous incident. At least Shikamaru knew not to talk about shogi anymore. He was glad that Naru-chan knew he wasn't mad. And speaking of Naru-chan, yes I said Naru-chan…

He had had some serious thought and he came up with a plan (being the genius that he is) to see how Naruto felt about him. But no, it's not like he likes him right? That's impossible. There were even some statistics somewhere in the back of his mind that told him so, but he seemed to be at a loss for them. It. Is. Impossible. Because there was no way in hell that Naruto would ever like him back.

Yeah, I said _back_.

But we can talk about the closet later, can't we Shika-chan?

All he had to do now was to switch the conversation over to a specific topic and then his Naru-chan's gullibility and natural curiosity would take control and do the rest for him. That should be easy enough, Naruto's pretty random. Earlier they had been continuing the conversation on shogi and Naruto just blurted out something about what Iruka and Kakashi do in the bushes when Kakashi thinks team seven is too busy training to notice (did anyone catch the closet reference this time?). So, all he had to do was wait.

"…it's like every time we're training, Iruka sensei hides in the shadows and…"

He heard the word.

"…we catch him every time! You think that he'd have some sort of jutsu he could use…"

There's the other word…

"…like something to hide him in the shadows until _after_ we left cuz sometimes you just don't wanna hear…"

Soooo close…

"…_that_. You know?"

Shikamaru stayed silent. For this to work, Naruto would have to bring this up on his own. Maybe if he just sat silently, than Naruto would just keep talking and bring it up…

"Isn't there a shadow jutsu like that Shikamaru? I mean, that is your specialty…"

Almost there…come on Naruto!

"Hmm…"Naruto thought out loud, dead set on waiting for Shikamaru to say something back.

"What's 'hmm' supposed to mean?" Speaking only now, with a slight hint of anger in his voice so Naruto would continue without going so far off topic to the point that Shikamaru's whole plan would have all been for not.

"Oh-h, n-nothing Shika…chan. I was just thinking…"He was stuttering more.

'_He called me Shika-_chan_ again_.' Shikamaru smiled a little at this thought, but all joy left him as he realized that he must have replied too crossly. He tried again this time except with a little added sweetness" Thinking of what, _Naru-chan_?" Damn, emotions were hard.

Naruto blushed incredulously and continued to stammer" J-just about you're Shadow Im-imitation j-jutsu…" It was so quiet he practically mouthed the last part.

"What about it?" Sweet but slightly impatient, he was so close he could _taste_ it.

"Oh you know, like…umm…"Naruto whispered as he sounded so embarrassed he could barely speak. It took all of Shikamaru's might to not just say it for him, but he eventually completed his thought.

"…how d-does it _feel_?"

Bingo.

Shikamaru smiled.

"Hmm? Oh, well I don't know about that, but," Shikamaru started with a calm look on his face. He kept on smiling and whispered into Naruto's ear…

"…I could always show you."

* * *

It was sunset and the sun, still falling and just barely visible, could be seen in a little patch of the skyline of town, a bright glowing crimson-red. It was adjacent to a full moon, which was slowly fading into view and looked fairly large above Konoha. The wide open sky, a lovely dark orange fading to a deep blue of the night, was littered with hundreds upon thousands of little wispy clouds, which were different mixes of every color of the rainbow. All of this as tiny twinkling stars flooded the twilight's sky. 

But our little nin were still on the ground, now far from the ramen shop and in a small fragment of the forest on the western most edge of Konoha, in a desolate part of town, and standing parallel to each other about four yards apart.

"You're sure about this Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, only a twinge of worry in his voice.

"For the tenth time, yes!" Naruto half-shouted, he was far more anxious then he'd let be known.

"Fine, have it your way," He said, and formed the hand signs. "Here goes nothing!" he shouted, when in fact here went everything.

Shikamaru's shadow slid out of place and came to join those of trees and of the few buildings around them. It kept growing until it reached Naruto's feet and only hesitated for a moment before joining his shadow.

Naruto was snapped out of his hunched over position and into that of Shikamaru's, hand-signs still formed on his hands.

"Wow," Naruto said" freaky. Move around or something, this feels soo weird!"

Shikamaru obeyed his mundane request. He waved an arm, and Naruto's followed. He took a few steps forward and so did Naruto.

"This is so awesome!" Naruto stated proudly at his comrade. "Do more! Do more!"

Shikamaru smiled. Everything was going according to his plan, and Naruto sounded like a child in a candy shop (had it been any earlier, it would have been a ramen shop).

"Whatever you say," Shikamaru stated in a feigned calm."…Naru-chan."

Shikamaru twisted his head to the side, as Naruto followed along like in a game of Simon says. Naruto giggled.

He stopped what he was doing and looked Naruto straight in the eye, and took three more steps forward. They were only two feet apart now, and Naruto's smile faded and was replaced with a look of both shock and confusion. His heart was pounding in his ears as Shikamaru took only a half step forward.

Shikamaru lifted his arms and they joined hands, fingers intertwined, and their noses almost touching.

"Sh-shika-ch-chan…" Naruto barely whispered. And then…

Their shadows faded.

The jutsu was over and they were left standing there with their hand held high, and holding each other.

Apparently, you need chakra to perform any jutsu and as it so happens, that's what this was. Shikamaru's chakra had been completely drained earlier this morning, which was so far back in his mind, he never would have thought this moment would come to pass as he fought over Ino's hair at seven in the morning.

The only thought his highly trained mind could register as he felt he was about to lurch was '_Damn._'

But luckily, all those smarts were still good for something, as he pieced together a single coherent thought for him to say to an obviously confused Naruto.

"…so what's your next move, Naru-chan?"

The ball was now in Naruto's court and he had only one thought in his mind that even remotely made any since, and it was the sole thought that had resided there for many weeks now, even long before he'd met his bastard sensei. It was the singular idea that had renewed itself as he watched Shikamaru talk about shogi and he had thoroughly made a fool of himself. So it being the only thing he had to act upon, he did.

Naruto closed his eyes, and with his mouth only slightly ajar, he kissed Shikamaru slightly roughly, on the lips.

And there they were, in the middle of place fit to be named nowhere, no longer holding hands but kissing, with Shika-chan's hands on the small of his Naru-chan's back, and Naru-chan's hands running each finger delicately through his Shika-chan's hair. It was the only thing that had came to either of their minds since Shikamaru found Naruto half naked in the ramen shop earlier. Hmm…definitely a fond memory, and if things kept going this way, they'd be sure to make some more…

But sadly, all good things must end as did this one as they finally pulled apart, hands back to their own chests, and gasping for breath.

For awhile they remained silent, now sitting in the high grass, which was up to their waists, until it was broken by quiet words from Naruto, which were just as easily carried away, as easily as he had spoken them, on the warm breeze flowing through the twilight. These word though quiet and sweet, were not missed by the shinobi next to him.

"I love you, Shika-chan," Naruto whispered, as he scooted towards his new boyfriend.

Shikamaru pulled Naruto up on his lap and put both arms around his middle. He smiled oh so sweetly and whispered in a voice both sweet and husky, a tone normally unknown to the Nara nin, in to his Naru-chan's ear.

These words however, went unheard to all the world except to himself and to his Naru-chan, and whatever it was he had said, in must have been something good, as upon hearing these words Naruto blushed a deep crimson, matching the setting sun, turned to face Shikamaru and nodded. They disappeared into the grass and wouldn't be seen until the morning.

So, the sun had set somewhere just beyond the skyline and the moon was full and glowing brightly directly above Konoha in the night sky, which was now a pinkish-purple color fading into a deep blue of the night. Hundreds of thin wispy clouds formed a lavender blanket in the darkening sky while millions of stars blazed in the deep purple, twinkling to their hearts content. A blonde ninja who had finally found what he had lost, and a lazy dark haired ninja, who was finally relaxing, were both lying in the tall grass, staring up at the beautiful night sky, lost for words, and held in each others arms. Can you imagine it?

Because Shikamaru certainly didn't have to.

-/fin


End file.
